A proposal to impose a 1 percent "hamburger tax" on prepared foods in Jonesboro is far from a done deal, but the idea already has some opponents speaking out.

So far, local restaurant owners are quiet. Several contacted by The Jonesboro Sun simply declined to state their opinion, while others said they did not know enough about it to comment.

The city's Advertising and Promotion Commission voted Thursday to pursue passage of the tax to help boost the special fund that awards grants to local organizations that promote tourism if it devotes more than $4 million to the purchase of convention center property. Commissioners said the revenue also could pay for new amenities such as athletic facilities or a water park.

A&P Chairman Thom Beasley noted Friday that officials still have homework to do before moving forward with their plan. Their priority is to make sure the city council can levy such a tax by ordinance, and there is some uncertainty about the specifics.

At issue is whether the city may levy a total of 3 percent on hotels and restaurants, or 3 percent for each category. Jonesboro already has a 3-percent hotel tax.

"We think that the law reads that the council has the authority to do up to 3 percent on each one of those," Beasley said. "We're doing this with the idea that the council can pass it without a public referendum."

According to the Arkansas Municipal League, several other cities have hotel and restaurant tax rates that, when combined, exceed 3 percent. Some, like Hot Springs and North Little Rock, have a 3 percent tax on restaurants and another 3 percent on hotels. However, whether those city councils enacted the taxes or whether they were passed by public referendum was not made available.

A&P Managing Agent Cari White is collecting similar ordinances from other Arkansas cities that have adopted hotel and hamburger taxes. The city attorney will weigh in, too. Once enough background information is in hand, the A&P Commission will send a letter to the mayor and city council requesting consideration of the tax.

It is unclear what would happen if officials determine they cannot enact the tax.

"It's really a moot point if it falls outside the council's authority," Beasley said, adding he is not sure whether A&P would ask voters to pass the tax in a special election. "We'd have to spend more time selling it because it does affect people who live here and eat here."

Although no one has developed a formal projection of how much revenue such a tax could generate, commissioners said they estimated at least $1 million a year.

They said that would more than make up for the $400,000 a year they would funnel to the convention center property, plus leave extra for city parks and other amenities.

Beasley said several restaurant owners he talked to said such a tax would not affect business unless it went over 1 percent.

The last time the city pursued a hamburger tax was in 1997. However, that proposal, also for 1 percent, met with great opposition by residents.

Opponents collected enough signatures to place the matter before voters in a special election, and it was defeated.

Jonesboro resident Keith Carle was at the forefront of that battle, and on Friday he promised this new proposal would face similar resistance.

"I'm almost certain that many of the same people that worked to remove the last one that they passed will probably get together if this one passes and probably do the same thing again," he said.

However, Carle noted there were several specific problems with the 1997 proposal that may be different from this one, other than it being "just another tax."

He said concerns included the city council rushing through the matter with little public input, refusing to earmark revenues for any specific project, and not including a sunset clause.

In this particular instance Carle is concerned that the city already receives enough tax revenue from residents, including a majority of the county's sales tax income; a 1-percent city sales tax; a half-cent public safety sales tax; and a 5 percent alcohol tax.

"The question is, how much do they want?" he said. "They say it's only a penny, but there's still only 100 pennies in a dollar. And they keep pennying us, and half-pennying us, and they just can't keep penny-taxing us. A lot of restaurants now, they're adding a surcharge to help pay for Obamacare. ... There's just gotta be a stopping point."

Carle did acknowledge the city needs new attractions and said his "lack of support would be reduced" if the tax were passed and set aside for a water park or similar specific project that people want.

Beasley said hamburger tax revenue would go in a special fund, not the city's general fund, and could go a long way to enhance the quality of life for Jonesboro residents and develop attractions for tourists.

"For a city this size, there's just so much more we could do," he said.